CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Seven Spirited Lives
I lay in the shade under the tree by the turnip patch, head on my paws. I'd gotten up early to go outside and think, stepping over the sleeping forms of the other dogs laying in Shisa's owners' house. The old couple had taken to the pups right away, and Kameyo seemed quite attached to Gina already. I raised my head as I saw a little point of orange light hop in yard-long bounces towards me. "Hey, how're you doing furball?" Hiraku asked, and I laid my head back on my paws. "My head hurts, I spent way too much time the other night trying to figure out what to do."
"Hey, don't worry fuzzbrain!" He said, stroking my white fur with his tiny hand. "Everything will work itself out in the end. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? You let down a few dogs you don't even know? Sure it's your first real quest, but you already found them half their progeny!" I snorted, and smiled at his attempts of comfort. "Thanks." I said, somewhat sarcastically, and somewhat honestly. Even though his words weren't that comforting, I appreciated him trying to lift my spirits.
My ears perked forward as the door to Shisa's masters' house suddenly opened and a fluffy yellow dog appeared. "Akime..." She barked, walking up to me with her ears flat in sorrow. "Yeah?" I asked, turning to face her. "I've been thinking a lot about becoming a warrior...and...I can't leave my family. My people need me- I can't just abandon them! They'd be heartbroken! They need someone to look after. They need someone to care for while I'm gone, and someone to take care of them in turn!" She barked, distressed. She obviously didn't want to let me down, but she couldn't leave her people either. "I figured as much.." I said with a resigned sigh. She'd finally realized the problem in the plan; I was down another dog.
The door slid open again, and a small pale figure appeared in the doorway. "Akime? Have you seen Kei anywhere?" It was Gina, trotting up to me, blue eyes shining with worry. "Yes, he was-" But I cut myself off as an idea came to me. "Shisa… You say you don't want to leave because you don't want your people to be alone, right?"
"Yeah…?" She tilted her head, wondering what I was getting at. "And your brother didn't want to leave because he didn't want you alone, and unprotected…" I turned to Gina, who nodded, looking a little confused. "I think I have a solution to both those problems." The two girl dogs lifted their heads and flicked their ears forward attentively.
"Your masters would surely be lonely without a dog to look after and protect them, and of course you wouldn't want to leave them in such a heartbroken state. But, what if there was a way? Say there was a stray pup in need of a home they could take in, to fill the hole in their hearts?" I grinned as what I was getting at slowly dawned on them, smiles cracking across their faces. "If I needed to, I could ask it of them in a divine request...an act of faith- but I don't think that would be necessary." Gina looked ecstatic. "Really? You think that will really work?" She yipped in a high voice, tail wagging. Shisa answered for me. "They'll love you! They already do!"
"Wow! I'll have real people!" Gina barked, which sounded almost like a squeak, and jumped up and down in place. "I think you'll fit in just fine." I smiled. "I've got to go tell Kei!" She said, and dashed off to go find him. Shisa and I grinned after her. The yellow dog still looked forlorn, but that was to be expected. She'd made a decision, and she was leaving her life behind. I opened my mouth to say something, when I heard a deep woof: "Akime!"
We turned our heads to see Ryota trotting up the path, he'd been sleeping under the shelter of the trees by Susano's house. "Akime, I would be honored to take up any responsibility offered to me. I feel like I journeyed to Kamiki for a reason, and this is that reason- to become a Warrior. I've been a lone dog most of my life, companions I've made are far in between, but all loyal and trustworthy." He looked to Shisa and smiled. "Though I long lived the life of a lone dog, it never suited me; I feel like I'm finally ready to join my pack. Become a Canine Warrior." The Mastiff stood proudly in front of us, and I smiled at him. "I feel there will definitely be a place for you at the Gale Shrine, Ryota." I had a feeling that this dog would be the center of the warriors; the one to keep them all together. Shisa would be his support, the spirit of the group, but he would be the steady beating heart. I felt a familiar rush of energy, and the orange glow of the orb of Brotherhood appeared, and I felt surprisingly stronger as I watched it bob towards him. It was empowering to help others find their own destiny. "Yay! Now you get to come with us too!" Shisa yelped, and tackled the Mastiff, which was surprising- given their size difference. I laughed, then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a gray figure padding cautiously through the village. I turned my head, and saw it was Noriko. "Excuse me Ryota." I barked, and ran towards the gray dog.
"Noriko!" I called out. This was the first time I'd seen her since she'd run off.
"Oh, hello A-ki-kime." She said, stuttering, and stopping in her tracks. Thinking back to the night where she'd panicked and ran, I came up to her and stood in front of the gray dog before she could run away again. "Noriko, I know that you are-"
"Useless, cowardly, p-pathetic." She finished for me, looking at me sadly. "I was going to say afraid…" I finished dejectedly. "But I've gotten to know you over these past few days, and I know that inside, you're strong."
"Pah, me? I thank you for flattering me Akimeterasu, but I'm certain you have got the wrong dog. I'm n-no warrior, I'm just an ordinary stray." She looked away again. She closed her eyes then looked up again. It looked like she was going to say something else, but then her blue eyes lit up suddenly. "Wait, what's go-going on over there?" She suddenly ran towards the entrance to the village, and I followed her, then I could see what made her so worried.
"Get away! Get away!" The merchant who normally sat just inside the village border was surrounded by imps; they chattered and laughed, and one jumped on his cart, rocking it back and forth. We could hear things falling and breaking inside. "Hey! You- stop!" Noriko barked, quiver gone from her voice. Instantly the imps turned to look at us, and directly at her. She gulped and dug her claws into the ground, she trembled. "It's ok." I said, stopping too. "We can take them."
"B-But I've never fought anyone in my whole life!" She shuddered, looking back at the imps again, who were starting to lose interest and were getting closer to the poor merchant again. Seeing this, she growled and her hackles raised. As one suddenly rushed towards the man, we both leapt forward. I took the two on the right, while she leaped at the one who'd jumped up on the cart. I bit into one's shoulder, hearing it squawk- then turned around to watch Noriko. She'd headbutted into the cart, and the imp fell off, but he'd gotten up again and advanced towards Noriko.
I growled absentmindedly out of nervousness for her as I clunked the two imps' heads together, and prepared to leap in and help her, but Hiraku stopped me. "She has to do this on her own, Akime." He said calmly, and steadily- staring at me with his almost-black eyes. 'He's right.' I thought to myself, but I still felt a twinge of nervousness as I watched her. She was backed up against the cliff, imp still coming closer. 'What if I really just asked a perfectly pacifistic dog to fight with me? If she gets hurt...' I shook my head, clearing it of negative thoughts. "She can do it, you know she can!" He said again as the imp charged, and Noriko ducked.
The imp went clear over her head and crashed headfirst into the cliff. The imp raised a hand to its head, then got up and started to swing its flute-sword at her. She dodged each time he swung, jumping backwards. "She'll think of a way to beat it." I said aloud, partly to myself. I could see her thinking hard, bright blue eyes flashing. As the imp attacked, she jumped into the air and came down on the imp's back. The imp protested loudly, but she leaped off and ran back towards the cart, the imp got up -shaking his head- and went after her. The imps I had knocked together were starting to regain sense, and I could only see out of the corner of my eyes what Noriko was doing as I had to take care of them.
The imp was chasing her around the cart, and my heart started to sink again; until I saw her grab a heavy gong from the cart and turn it so it was in the imp's path, then she turned to face the green demon. The imp never even saw it coming, and he slammed into the metal disk with a satisfyingly pleasant gonnnnggg. I almost laughed out loud. Then while the imp was still recovering, Noriko grabbed another thing from the cart, a laundry-drying-pole. She held it sideways in her mouth, and swung her head at the imp. She held it against his chest and he tried to slam it aside, but she whipped it away and swung it under his legs- knocking him to the ground. The dazed imp was now getting really angry, and he tried to grab the pole away again. But Noriko whacked him firmly with her makeshift weapon, thrashing him each time he tried to attack by turning his moves against him. She was fighting him, by not fighting him. It was brilliant. Every time he tried to swipe at her with an arm or his weapon, she found some way to use his momentum to make it worse for him.
The two imps I'd been fighting were now just flowers on the ground, so all my attention was on Noriko, it was like no fighting I had ever seen. For one final time, the weary imp launched himself at her, and she clenched the elongated stick tighter between her jaws. The imp collided with the pole, and she moved it to guide the imp's body so that instead of hitting her- it flung him towards the stone wall of the canyon. I heard one final shriek from the demon, then it smashed into the wall and exploded into a cascade of flowers.
"Great job Noriko!" I barked. "Wow! I don't think I've ever seen anything like that!" Hiraku bounced around excitedly. "You basically made him defeat himself!" I wagged my tail happily. "I-I didn't know I could do that!" The gray dog stammered, but for once not in fear- but in astonishment. "I knew you could do it!" I said, waving my tail.
"I-I'm sorry, Akimeterasu." She suddenly said, spoiling the mood of the moment, and looking down at her paws. "For not trusting in you… Or in myself… I knew I could do it, but I kept holding myself back out of fear. But I promise, I won't doubt my own inner strength, and wisdom anymore." With that she raised her head, her blue eyes gleaming, ears pricked and curly tail lifted in triumph. I felt a warm glow of pride, then I felt something in my chest, not an emotion, but a prickling feeling- like something was trying to escape. A purple orb flew out of my chest and circled in the air around us. The glowing ball of light dove into Noriko, she staggered backwards a few paces as it absorbed into her. "Whoa! W-what *Cough* What was that?" She looked down at her pale chest where it disappeared.
"The power orb of wisdom!" I smiled, surprise being wiped away. "It's chosen you, you're the next Canine Warrior of Wisdom!"
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I trotted down the path, smiling to myself. 'We're almost there! After all the drama of last night, we're back on track. Hiraku and I are only missing two warriors; then, this quest will be complete!' My celebratory daze came to a quick halt, as I opened my eyes and saw Daiko standing in front of me, wearing a look I'd never seen on his haughty face before- which looked almost apologetic. "Akime.." He said, voice lower and more calm than I'd ever heard it, but instinctively my hackles started to raise, from past experience with this dog. "Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away." Hiraku suggested, and I nodded. I picked up my pace to walk briskly past him; I didn't need or want to hear any more of his complaining.
"Akime… Listen! Wait! I want to apologize for how I acted last night." That stopped me in my tracks. "What?" I said, turning around, not sure I'd heard him correctly. "I said… I apologize." He barked, and it sounded like it almost hurt for him to speak. "I acted wrongly… I've been rude, and selfish… And I think it's time you know the truth about who I am…" I turned around and watched the black and white dog intently, waiting to hear his story.
"I know my masters are never coming back for me. I've known that for a long time. I grew up in a house near the queen's palace in the aristocratic part of Sei-an city, that much you know. I always tried to be the best dog I could, I loved my master, and my mistress even though she cared nothing for me. One day, my master left… And did not return. I didn't know what happened back then, but now I think that he must have died. I was still very young, but my mistress hated me, she never gave me attention, or even recognition. Then one day, she put me outside, and left me there, I didn't know why. What I'd done, what had happened, why any of this was happening. I waited, and waited but they never returned. I had no choice but to wait for them, but they never did come back. No one did. Not she, nor their servants, no one." He said, green eyes downcast. "I was completely alone, and eventually, I had to change to survive. The city's stray dogs didn't like me, and almost attacked me multiple times. But when I mentioned my master's status however, they started to leave me alone- fearing the wrath of my masters if they attacked their dog. I reassured them they would return any day, and took advantage of their fear. I had to do terrible things, and go against all I'd been taught about being noble to pretend to be still favored. I had to steal food from pups, be greedy and unjust to survive. I'm not honorable, I lost my honor a long time ago when I made others give me their food by threatening them with my master." His green gaze was downcast, and I could see the remorse that filled his eyes. "I came here… To apologize. I'm sorry Akime, I've been… Well…"
"A completely spoiled, rotten, mollycoddled, snobbish son of a bitch?" Hiraku suggested. "Yes, I guess so." The slim dog said, looking unamused. "You offered to give me what I've always wanted, but I was so caught up in my act I forgot who I was. I needed to face those hard truths. Thank you for showing me the truth of who I'd become." He dipped his head to me, and I acknowledged it. "Thank you for the apology Daiko." I said, dipping my head in return. "Sometimes you have to apologize and compromise pride to solve your problems. Sometimes you have to lose in a competition to be truly revered; stand in the shadows and be the bigger man to be respected. Be unknown, but keep your inner honor in tact other than trade it in for petty approval. You don't need to earn glory to be honored, have friends, a home, and things that really matter."
"Hmph, you're the one to talk." He said angrily, sounding more like himself. "You grew up in a temple, where you were prayed to every day!" His eyes were no longer downcast, but I shook my head. "I've been blessed with more than I deserve, but I would give all that up to protect my friends Daiko. Reverence and offerings are very nice, but without what one really needs, it would be empty. Because in the end, what do boasting and pride ever bring? It's a hard lesson to learn Daiko, and I struggle with it myself- to be humble. To learn to not take the glory for yourself, because truly… It's for someone who really needs it."
"Someone who really needs it? But why not me?" He raised his hackles. "Haven't I gone through enough? I was thrown out by my masters, I had to scavenge in the streets! I've gone through more suffering than most creatures do in their entire life!" His voice rang with anger, longing and sorrow. "You're fine Daiko. You have all your legs, all your senses, loyal friends, a title, and a honorable occupancy-"
"Wait, wait… What were those last ones?" The dog tilted his head, and I smiled.
"It took a lot of responsibility and courage to come to me and own up to your past actions Daiko, and you showed to me that you are capable of being humble. When I saw the look of regret and sorrow in your eyes and the will to be better, I saw that you have a good heart. It finally showed me that you're worthy of becoming the Canine Warrior of Honor." I finished, feeling proud of the dog before me, the warm feeling welled and grew in my chest, until a bright yellow-green orb emerged from my pale white form, and circled Daiko once. He looked startled, but the green ball of light dove into his chest, and I saw a bright flash in his eyes, before he relaxed and smiled back at me. "Congratulations, Canine Warrior of Honor."
(AN: So he's not such a jerk after all. :) He only had that persona to protect himself from big mean doggies, like a little dog; except Daiko's just a giant toothpick with no muscle, not little. This story goes through long droughts and updates in downpours. XP It may be a while until the next update, but I'm working on it!)